Our rental goal is simple, we want to find you the best possible tenant. We offer a range of straightforward and simple services to fit the needs of all landlords. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
General guidance on letting your property
Marketing of property
Accompanied viewings
Referencing tenants
Preparing tenancy agreement
Arrange inventory and check in
Collection of first month’s rent and deposit
Registering deposit with government scheme
Everything included in the Tenant find service plus …
Rent collection on monthly basis
Monthly rental statement
Tenancy renewals and rent reviews
Everything included in the Rent Collection service plus …
Conduct regular inspections
Deal with maintenance issues and repairs
Arrange check out
Before your property can be let, there are a few things you’ll need to do to ensure that the tenancy runs smoothly and that you’re complying with the law.
EPCs are required for all tenanted property in England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Landlords offering property for rent are required by law to provide prospective tenants with an Energy Performance Certificate for their property. The certificates must be provided free either when (or before) any written information about the property is provided to prospective tenants or a viewing is conducted. An EPC is valid for 10 years. We can arrange an EPC inspection for our landlord clients upon request.
As of 1st February 2016 landlords must check that a tenant has the right to rent in the UK. This has been introduced by the government as part of the Immigration Act 2014. This includes anyone over the age of 18 living in the property, whether they are named in the tenancy agreement or not. Landlords can be fined up to £3,000 for renting their property to someone who isn’t allowed to rent property in England.
Tenant’s deposits must now be place in a deposit protection scheme within 30 days if you rent out your home on an assured shorthold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007. Using a government- backed scheme ensures tenants get their deposit back if they meet the terms of the tenancy agreement, if they don’t damage the property and pay the rent and bills. If there is a dispute with the tenants, the deposit is protected in the scheme until the issue is settled.
The Housing Health and Safety rating system (HHSRS) was introduced in light of the Housing Act 2004. Landlords have to maintain their properties to provide a safe and healthy environment. The HHSRS enables local authorities to risk assess housing conditions should they feel it is appropriate. Landlords should review conditions regularly to see where and how their properties can be improved and made safer.
The DDA 2005 addresses the limitations of current legislation by extending disabled people’s rights in respect of premises that are let or to be let, and commonhold premises. Landlords and managers of let premises and premises that are to let will be required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
If your property is on 3 or more levels and let to 5 or more tenants comprising 2 or more households (i.e. not all of the same family) it will be subject to mandatory licensing by your local authority. Whether mandatory licensing as above applies or not, if there are 3 or more tenants not all related in any property, it is still likely to be an HMO, and special Management rules will apply.
Annual safety check: Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 all gas appliances and flues in rented accommodation must be checked for safety at least every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. They must be maintained in a safe condition at all times, records kept for at least 2 years, and a copy of the safety certificate given to each new tenant before their tenancy commences.
Landlords in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) must ensure every electrical installation in their residential premises is inspected and tested at intervals of no more than 5 years by a qualified and competent person. These Regulations apply in England to – all new specified tenancies from 1st July 2020; and all existing specified tenancies from 1st April 2021. Typically, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is used within the industry for this purpose. This will need to be renewed at 5 yearly intervals and sent to the Tenant before the commencement of the tenancy. Where an Electrical Installation Safety Report identifies urgent remedial work or requires further Investigation, the Landlord must ensure that this required work is carried out by a qualified and competent person within: 28 days; or the period specified in the report if less than 28 days, starting with the date of the inspection and testing.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989 & 1993) provide that specified items supplied in the course of letting property must meet minimum fire resistance standards. The regulations apply to all upholstered furniture, beds, headboards and mattresses, sofa- beds, futons and other convertibles, nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows and non-original covers for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or furniture made before 1950, and certain other items. Non-compliant items must be removed before a tenancy commences.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 came into force on 1st October 2015. Landlords are now required to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their property and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance, this includes rooms with coal fires and wood burning stoves. Landlords are required to make sure these alarms are in full working order at the start of each new tenancy.
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing Legionella. The law is clear that if you are a landlord and rent out your property (or even a room within your own home) then you have to ensure the health and safety of your tenant by keeping the property safe and free from health hazards. A risk assessment should be undertaken to consider if any control measures need to be put in place. This should be reviewed in case anything changes in the system.
With us you know you’re in safe hands. We are members of the Property Redress Scheme which is approved by the Government under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015.
Set up an appointment to see how our expert agents help you prepare your property for let, set a price and find the best tenants.